Southwestern Petroleum Corporation is a world leader in high performance waterproofing systems and protective coatings. Since 1933 SWEPCO Building Products have been helping our Customers by providing reliable, long-term, cost-effective waterproofing solutions for roofs, floors, walls, pavement and other surfaces. We can help you too.

Roofs, walls, floors, pavement and metal structures are continuously under assault. From damp tropics and arid deserts … to sub zero arctic and corrosive coastal or industrial environments. Only the strong survive. But not without conscious implementation of effective maintenance strategies.

In 1933, fueled by a desire to provide industry, commerce and government with new ways to protect their property, Southwestern Petroleum Corporation began developing and marketing a broad line of protective coatings.

In all the years since then, this focus has never changed. Today SWEPCO Brand Products and Systems are manufactured in the United States, Canada and Europe. A unique blending of old world traditions with new age technologies has yielded a complete line of protective coatings and maintenance products for a wide variety of industrial and commercial surfaces … concrete, asphalt pavement, masonry, metal and all classes of roofing. SWEPCO Building Products protect millions of square feet of industrial, commercial, institutional and government property in more than 90 countries throughout the world.

Proven quality

Quality doesn’t just happen

It takes a concerted effort and strong commitment at every level of an organization to produce high performance products and systems on a consistent basis.

Southwestern Petroleum has made and will continue to make that commitment … in Research and Development … in Manufacturing … in Quality Assurance … in Engineering … in Sales … and in Technical Support. Every step takes place under the watchful eye of SWEPCO’s Total Quality System technicians … from formula development … to raw material selection and testing … to manufacturing and packaging … to post sale support.

To insure that quality is not just an advertising claim, we chose to have our quality system certified and periodically recertified by the prestigious Bureau Veritas Quality International to meet the strict requirements of ISO9001 Quality System Standards. These measures insure that the SWEPCO Total Quality System is real, in place on a continuing basis and effective. And that, in turn, helps insure production of the world’s finest maintenance products … products that have passed rigorous performance testing.

But, in the final analysis, the only test that matters is real world performance. It is there that SWEPCO Products and Systems have established their record of excellence … proving themselves in the world’s toughest environments.

Only the best raw materials can create the best roofing products. Technologically advanced products simply last longer. That is because properties like oxidation resistance, flexibility, bondability, tensile strength, elongation and thermal stability ultimately determine how long any waterproofing product will withstand the constant assault of nature. Choosing the best ingredients is the first, and most important, step in the manufacture of a premium quality, long lasting product. That is why Southwestern spends so much time and energy sourcing, testing and formulating with the world’s finest raw materials.

“Heart of Texas” Asphalt

Improved performance in most SWEPCO waterpoofing products starts with a premium grade of waterpoofing asphalt. By definition, “Heart of Texas” Asphalt is asphalt which meets an extraordinarily narrow set of physical characteristics. To meet these specifications, raw petroleum crude is vacuum distilled to remove gases, fuels, lubricant fractions and various impurities. It is then “air blown” to establish a precise softening point. This step is critical because harder asphalts age more rapidly and crack more easily in cold weather. Conversely, an asphalt which is too soft will flow or sag in hot weather. “Heart of Texas” Asphalt’s optimum softening point results in an asphalt which retains many of the waterproofing oils which insure flexibility and longer weathering life.

High Strength Micro Fibers

SWEPCO Products can start with a softer, longer lasting asphalt because several specialized ingredients are added to keep “Heart of Texas” Asphalt from flowing in hot weather. These types of ingredients are called stabilizers and there are many types available. But all stabilizers are not equal. Some, such as asbestos, raise health issues. Others, like plastics, are difficult to disperse evenly in the asphalt. Still others, such as glass, have no absorbency, so they do not actually become a part of the coating. Southwestern’s special High Stength Micro Fibers are treated with surface active chemicals that insure superior absorption and even dispersion throughout the asphalt. This even distribution of fibers not only gives the asphalt thermal stability, but blocks harmful convection currents which accelerate oxidation of waterproofing asphalts.

Dia-Seal & Finely Milled Slate

In addition to High Strength Micro Fibers, Southwestern uses two other highly effective stabilizers, Dia-Seal and finely-milled blue black slate. Dia-Seal is actually the finely ground fossilized remains of single celled marine plants. Blue-black slate is an extremely fine slate powder. Both are hard, opaque and highly resistant to chemical reaction.

They also improve long term weatherability, toughness and resistance to industrial pollutants. Blue Black Slate also adds unsurpassed resistance to the deteriorating effects of acid rain. Laboratory research has proven these stabilizers, High Strength Micro Fibers, Dia-Seal and finely milled blue-black slate, to be superior to limestone, talc, trap rock and marble, all of which are commonly found in other products because of their lower cost and widespread availability.

Zonamine

Performance is also enhanced through the use of special chemical additives. One such additive is Zonamine, a proprietary chemical ingredient which significantly improves the bondability of SWEPCO Roofing Products. Zonamine helps break down surface tension and promotes complete “wetting” of surfaces. The result is greatly improved penetration, stronger bonding and better long term performance from SWEPCO Products.

ZHD-7

Another vital chemical additive used in SWEPCO Roofing Products is ZHD-7, a powerful oxidation inhibitor. Oxidation is the number one enemy of asphalt products. As soon as a roof coating is installed the sun begins attacking the asphalt. Under exposure to ultra-violet radition, free oxygen molecules in the asphalt react with the hydrocarbons composing the asphalt. This process eventually hardens or “oxidizes” the asphalt and makes it dry and hard. ZHD-7 combats this natural aging process by consuming the free oxygen molecules before they can react with the crucial hydrocarbon molecules. This remarkable ingredient is one important reason SWEPCO Roofing Products tend to stay soft, resilient and waterproof after other products become hard, brittle and inflexible.

Only The Best

A quality product can only be made with quality ingredients. Hundreds of other ingredients, each with their own function, are needed to manufacture Southwestern’s entire line of premium quality roof products. In each case, only the best ingredient is selected. High quality ingredients invariably cost more than the common ingredients used in competitive materials. But they always pay for themselves in terms of longer life and better performance.

SWEPCO Building Products is an easy and cost-effective way for protecting Commercial, Industrial & Institutional Property.